Kin of farmers who died protesting farm laws should be compensated from PM CARES Fund: Sanjay Raut
Mumbai (PTI): Claiming that more than 700 farmers died during the year-long protest against the three contentions farm laws, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday demanded that the kin of the deceased be given financial assistance from the PM CARES Fund, two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a repeal of the three legislations.
Speaking to reporters here, Raut claimed that many tillers had died at the protest site near Delhi while some committed suicide and others killed in police firing. Some were crushed to death in Lakhimpur Kheri. All of them were protesting against the farm laws, he said.
"The government has now realised its mistake and withdrawn the farm laws.
There is a demand from different parts of the country that the kin of the farmers who lost their lives should be financially compensated," Raut said.
Alleging that "unaccounted money" was lying in the PM CARES Fund, Raut said this money should be used as ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased farmers.
"Just apology to farmers is not enough. Supporting their families is important," he said apparently referring to the speech of the prime minister.
Queried about the health of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is recuperating in a hospital after undergoing surgery, Raut said Thackeray's health is improving.
"I spoke to Uddhavji yesterday (Saturday). We feel he should recover completely and then get back to work," he said.
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Vinod Tawde seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul through legal notice, warns of defamation lawsuit
Cash-for-vote row
New Delhi, Nov 22: BJP leader Vinod Tawde has demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for making "false and baseless" allegations against him in the cash-for-votes incident in Maharashtra, saying if they don't he would sue them for defamation.
Tawde was accused by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a regional party, of distributing Rs 5 crore to woo voters, with its members barging into a hotel room on November 19 in a Mumbai suburb, where the BJP leader was present.
The former Maharashtra minister and BJP national general secretary claimed innocence, saying the alleged amount was not recovered in the probe by the Election Commission and police.
"The Congress only believes in spreading lies, and this incident is a proof of the party's low level politics to dent me and my party's image," Tawde said.
The two Congress leaders and the party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate seized on the row to accuse the BJP of using money power to influence the November 20 assembly polls in the state.
The legal notice sent to the three claimed that they were aware that they were pushing a "totally false story fabricated" by them.
"You all have deliberately, mischievously with the sole intention of damaging the reputation of our client intentionally fabricated the story distribution of money. You all have published false, baseless allegations against our client on various media for tarnishing his image in the eyes of right thinking people in the society," the notice read.
The Congress leaders were in a "great hurry" to damage Tawde's reputation, they did not bother to check the fact and or despite knowing the entire fact they made the false, baseless allegations, it said.
"The entire imputation made by you all are totally false, baseless, malicious and mala fide and as our client is in no way involved in any such illegal activity and as a responsible office bearer of the national political party he is aware of his duties," it added.
The notice demanded an "unconditional apology" to Tawde within 24 hours from the time the receipt of the notice, which was sent on November 21, and published in newspapers and X.
If they do not offer apology, then Tawde will initiate criminal proceedings under Section 356, which covers defamation, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and also civil proceedings for the damages of Rs 100 crore against the three Congress leaders, the notice said.
